


Heart And Flowers

by Warp5Complex_Archivist



Category: Star Trek: Enterprise
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-08-26
Updated: 2006-08-26
Packaged: 2018-08-15 16:52:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,913
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8064439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Warp5Complex_Archivist/pseuds/Warp5Complex_Archivist
Summary: Trip and Malcolm make a bet and try to get dates for movie night. Set in Season 2.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Kylie Lee, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Warp 5 Complex](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Warp_5_Complex), the software of which ceased to be maintained and created a security hazard. To make future maintenance and archive growth easier, I began importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in August 2016. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but I may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Warp 5 Complex collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/Warp5Complex).

  
Author's notes: This is just a little piece of light-hearted fluff. I wanted to try something a bit different and this was what I came up with. It seemed appropriate for the time of year. A big thanks, as always, to Distracted for being my beta and helping me with the story.  


* * *

Lieutenant Malcolm Reed stopped talking in mid-sentence, his attention suddenly diverted to the dark-haired beauty that approached from down the hall. Ensign Hoshi Sato moved gracefully along the corridor at an even pace, looking even more remarkable to him than usual. Malcolm felt his heart flutter momentarily as Hoshi drew closer. She smiled cordially at the two Starfleet officers on her way by, then ambled down the path, and headed in the opposite direction. Malcolm turned his head to watch her leave, his mouth hanging open ever-so-slightly.

â€œMalcolm!â€ Commander Trip Tucker said in a stage whisper, attempting to jar his friend out of the trance that had befallen him. â€œQuit starinâ€™, will ya?â€ Malcolm didnâ€™t flinch, his eyes still focused on the slim figure down the hall. â€œFor peteâ€™s sake, Malcolm, why donâ€™t ya just ask the girl out?â€

Malcolm turned to face Trip, looking stern. â€œOh, and youâ€™re one to talk, Commander. I havenâ€™t seen you make any overtures toward a certain Vulcan that youâ€™re obviously attracted to.â€

â€œWhat?! You mean Tâ€™Pol?â€ Trip stared back at him, looking aghast. â€œWhat the hell are ya talkinâ€™ about? I am NOT attracted to Tâ€™Pol.â€

Malcolm raised a brow and gazed at Trip knowingly. The engineer sighed, relenting, and rolled his eyes in apparent defeat. â€œWhatâ€™s your point?â€ Trip questioned softly, his face suddenly bright red.

Lieutenant Reed felt abruptly powerful, having discovered a weakness of Tripâ€™s that simply demanded more exploration. He smirked, his face brightening. â€œI believe that youâ€™reâ€¦blushing, Commander. Perhapsâ€¦maybeâ€¦Iâ€™m onto something here.â€

â€œJust quit it Malcolm! Tâ€™Pol justâ€¦â€

â€œâ€¦has an awfully nice bum,â€ Malcolm finished, feeling quite proud of his ability to get under his friendâ€™s skin. The two rounded the corner of the hall and stopped just in front of Tripâ€™s quarters. â€œI donâ€™t imagine it would be a simple matter to romance an alienâ€¦even for youâ€¦ and especially with someone as stubborn as Subcommander Tâ€™Pol.â€

â€œSheâ€™s a Vulcan, Malcolm. She _canâ€™t_ be stubborn.â€

â€œOh, like hell she canâ€™t! I bet you couldnâ€™t even get her to go to movie night with you.â€

â€œMovie night? You meanâ€¦like a date?â€

â€œThatâ€™s _precisely_ what I mean, Commanderâ€¦a date.â€

Trip stared back at Malcolm, looking confident. â€œAll right, Malcolm. Iâ€™ll make you a wager. I bet that I can get Tâ€™Pol to come to movie night with me before you can get Hoshi to go with you. Andâ€¦since theyâ€™re always asking for suggestions for what film to playâ€¦ whoever wins the betâ€¦chooses the movie.â€

Malcolm took a step toward Trip, staring him down, his chest thrust out with masculine pride. â€œVery well, Commander. I accept your challenge.â€ He extended a hand toward the blonde engineer. Trip looked down and clasped Malcolmâ€™s fingers, shaking his hand in acceptance.

â€œMay the best man win.â€

â€œIndeed,â€ Malcolm answered, sizing up his competitor with a domineering gaze. â€œYesâ€¦the best manâ€¦â€

 

************************************************************************

Subcommander Tâ€™Pol was awakened by a most unusual odor. The strong fragrance seemed to permeate the air in her quarters quite thoroughly, leaving the previous scent from last nightâ€™s meditation candles merely a distant memory. This was certainly something sheâ€™d smelled beforeâ€¦from where she couldnâ€™t recallâ€¦but the aroma was distinctively familiar and evenâ€¦ sweet. Perhaps it was some type of perfume. During her time aboard the starship, the Vulcan had observed human females applying the special liquid to their skin. It seemed to her a rather curious way to attract males.

Tâ€™Pol got up out of bed and slipped on her robe. Her highly acute olfactory senses led her directly to the entrance of her quarters. She stared down at the floor at the precise location where the aroma seemed to be emanating. Peculiar. There was nothing there. She reached her hand up and pressed the button to open the door.

Tâ€™Pol raised a brow inquisitively as her eyes fixed upon an object on the hallway floor. She leaned down and picked up the long-stemmed flower, carefully avoiding its numerous thorns. The Vulcan placed her hand upon the deep red petals, gently tracing the foliage with her fingers to discern its texture. The rose petals were soft and gently curved, giving the flower a delicate andâ€¦ almost feminineâ€¦ appearance.

The Vulcan science officer looked down the corridorâ€™s path. There were several single petals lined along the floor leading down the hall. Tâ€™Pol followed the trail of broken flowers, rather intrigued by the bizarre nature of the situation. She looked down as her feet stepped along the passage, her eyes marking each blossom remnant until there were no more. She stopped and looked up. Commander Tuckerâ€™s quarters. Odd. Tâ€™Pol moved her hand up to press the buzzer and waited.

The door slid open and the commander stood in the entrance, looking as if heâ€™d just spent ten minutes in the dryer at tumble-dry low. He rubbed his eyes and squinted at the Vulcan, as if trying to wake himself.

â€œTâ€™Polâ€¦itâ€™s the middle of the night. Is there somethinâ€™ I can do for ya?â€

â€œYes, Commander Tucker, there is. It appears as though someone has gone through a great deal of trouble to decorate the corridor of the ship.â€

Trip smiled weakly, feigning innocence. â€œNot sure I know what you mean, Subcommander.â€

Tâ€™Pol stared back at him, seeing right through his little attempt at denial.

â€œI awakened to discover a rose on the floor at the entrance to my quarters,â€ she began, pausing for a moment to gauge Tripâ€™s reactions. He held her gaze and showed no signs of wavering. â€œI also found aâ€¦ rather illogicalâ€¦ trail of flower petals leading from _my_ doorâ€¦ _to_ yours. Do you have any suggestions as to who might have deemed such an action appropriate? Andâ€¦ for that matterâ€¦ why this person chose to place them in these specific locations?â€

Trip burst out laughing. â€œWhatâ€™s the matter, Tâ€™Pol? Donâ€™t Vulcans like flowers?â€

Tâ€™Pol looked away, silently pondering the question. â€œAestheticallyâ€¦the blossoms are pleasing to the eyes. I am also aware of the redolence of this particular type of bloomâ€¦a roseâ€¦Am I to assume that you are responsible for this, Commander?â€

Trip ran his tongue along his bottom lip, looking nervous. â€œHowâ€™d ya feel about watching a movie with me on Friday night?â€

â€œMovie night? Do we know what film will be presented?â€

â€œYes or no, Tâ€™Pol.â€

The Vulcan extended her hand toward him, offering him the rose. â€œPlease accept my apologies, Commander Tuckerâ€¦but I believe I have other arrangements for that particular evening.â€

The engineer took hold of the flower, appearing somewhat exasperated. â€œOther arrangements? Canâ€™t ya give up meditatinâ€™ for just one night? I meanâ€¦I know that itâ€™s important and all, but, I meanâ€¦câ€™mon, Tâ€™Pol. Itâ€™ll be fun.â€

Subcommander Tâ€™Pol stared back at him. â€œFun? Iâ€™m Vulcan, Commander. We donâ€™tâ€¦ haveâ€¦fun.â€ She turned and walked away, leaving Trip standing alone in the doorway holding the beautiful rose. He moved his finger along the stem and accidentally pierced his skin with one of its sharp thorns.

â€œOwâ€¦dammit!â€ Trip winced and shook his hand in pain as he watched the Vulcan walk down the path and back to her quarters. â€œYeah. I see what you mean. Noâ€¦ fun,â€ he quipped, as if speaking to the now-absent science officer. â€œGuess its back to the drawing board,â€ he whispered to himself with a heavy sigh, and then made his way back inside his room.

 

************************************************************************

â€œOww!â€ Ensign Hoshi Sato exclaimed, grabbing her jaw and dropping her sandwich back down on the table. â€œWhat the hell was that?â€

With one hand still cradling her mandible, Hoshi lifted up the top portion of bread from the fallen sandwich and turned it over, staring bewilderedly at the inside of her roast beef with mustard on whole wheat.

There in the midst of the gooey yellow condiment, was a tiny white heart. Hoshi placed two fingers into the mess and carefully pulled out the piece of candy. She looked across the table at Tâ€™Pol, who appeared characteristically unfazed by the entire matter as she sipped chamomile tea from an exceedingly large white mug.

Tâ€™Pol swallowed the warm liquid seemingly without a second thought. She gazed up at the young ensign, looking curious. â€œIs there a problem, Ensign Sato?â€

Hoshi placed the mustard-covered heart onto a nearby napkin and wiped it clean. She smiled mildly. â€œItâ€™s a Valentineâ€™s candy heart.â€

â€œA Valentineâ€™s candy heart? Someone placed it in your meal? Is this customary human behavior?â€

â€œNo, Subcommanderâ€¦itâ€™s not _customary_ at all.â€ Hoshi turned her head away as if lost in thought. â€œItâ€™s strange thoughâ€¦Iâ€™ve been finding these little things everywhere lately. At my station on the bridgeâ€¦ in the pockets of my uniformâ€¦ lining the hallway floor to my quarters and nowâ€¦in my roast beef on wheat?â€ She shook her head in bafflement, still staring at the letters on her latest heart. They were marked in capitals that were a brightly colored red and spelled out the wordsâ€¦BE MINE.

â€œWhatâ€™s the meaning of all this?â€ she questioned.

Tâ€™Pol stopped drinking her tea for a moment and placed the cup down upon the table.

â€œPerhaps you have what I have heard humans refer to as a â€˜secret admirerâ€™.â€

â€œA secret admirer? You really think thatâ€¦No? Me?â€ She touched a hand to her chest and felt her face beginning to flush. The ensign grew curiously quiet for a moment, contemplating the idea. Her face began to brighten the more she thought about the possibilities.

â€œHmmâ€¦wonder who it could be? Certainly not the Captain of courseâ€¦or Lieutenant Reed. Heâ€™s too stuffy to be interested in me. Maybe Travis? Noâ€¦ probably not. Oh, I know. What about Commander Tucker? Heâ€™s kind of cute. Donâ€™t you think? That wavy blonde hair and those crystal blue eyes of hisâ€¦canâ€™t say Iâ€™d mind ifâ€¦â€

â€œEnsign,â€ the Vulcan interrupted curtly, â€œthat scenario is highly illogical. Just last evening the commander requestedmypresence with him at this weekâ€™s movie presentation.â€

â€œHe asked you out?â€

â€œIn a manner of speaking.â€

Hoshi smiled teasingly. â€œAndâ€¦â€

â€œAnd what?â€

â€œAnd what did you tell him?â€

Tâ€™Pol gazed across the mess hall and fixed her eyes on the commander sitting at a distant table. The Vulcan watched as Trip devoured whatâ€¦if Hoshi had counted correctly over the past fifteen minutesâ€¦was his _third_ piece of pecan pie.

â€œI told him that I was already otherwise occupied on Friday evening and that I would not be able to attend.â€ Tâ€™Polâ€™s eyes remained focused on Commander Tucker.

â€œOh,â€ Hoshi answered, in a deflated tone. â€œThatâ€™s a shame. I bet you two wouldâ€™ve made a cute couple.â€

Tâ€™Pol raised a brow at the ensign and continued to sip her tea. It was obvious that the Vulcan hadnâ€™t even considered the possibility that she and Commander Tucker might be perceived as â€œcuteâ€ together.

 

***********************************************************************

â€œLooks like somebodyâ€™s watching you, Commander,â€ Malcolm informed an unsuspecting Trip, just as the chief engineer was about to sink his teeth into yet another piece of chefâ€™s famous pecan pie. Trip shrugged his shoulders and looked up. He had his sights set on dessert at the moment. The engineer smiled brightly, with anticipation, and lifted the pie-filled fork up to his mouth.

â€œMmmmâ€¦â€ Trip closed his eyes, concentrating all of his senses on the luscious dessertâ€¦ savoring itâ€¦nearlyâ€¦worshipping itâ€¦ as it slowly melted in his mouth. He swallowed and opened his eyes, gazing back over at Malcolm.

â€œThereâ€™s nothing like a little pecan pie to soothe a manâ€™s troubles,â€ Trip whispered contentedly.

â€œTroubles, eh?â€ Malcolm questioned, as if mocking him. â€œWhatâ€™s the matter, Trip? Having some difficulty lining up a date for Friday night? Is a certain someoneâ€¦who shall remain nameless, of courseâ€¦ not so keen on your good old southern charm?â€

Trip poked his utensil into what was left of his dessert and mumbled something under his breath.

Malcolm put a hand to his ear. â€œIâ€™m sorry, Commander Tuckerâ€¦but youâ€™re going to have to speak up a bit. What was that again?â€

â€œI saidâ€¦whoâ€™s ever heard of a girl that doesnâ€™t like flowers? Even if that girl does happen to be Vulcan?â€ Trip peered over Malcolmâ€™s shoulder and met eyes with Tâ€™Pol from way across the room.

â€œWhatâ€™s the matter, old chap? Did you strike out?â€

Malcolm had that unsettling, sly look on his face again. Trip put his fork down and stared into his friendâ€™s eyes with growing determination.

â€œIt just so happens that I still have a few tricks left in my arsenal, _Lieutenant Reed_. You just watch. Come Friday night, Tâ€™Pol will be putty in my hands.â€

â€œOh please, Commander. Sheâ€™s Vulcan, remember?â€ Malcolm rolled his eyes in apparent disbelief. â€œPutty in your handsâ€¦â€ His voice trailed off. â€œUnbelievableâ€¦â€

Trip felt a surge of testosterone begin to rise in his blood. Male competition before himâ€¦ Male competition who had just questioned his ability to attract a member of the opposite sexâ€¦

Yep. Yes Sir. Malcolmâ€™s goinâ€™ downâ€¦no doubt about it. She WILL be putty in my handsâ€¦Vulcan or not.

 

************************************************************************

Ensign Sato rounded the corner of the hallway and headed back to her quarters for the remainder of the night. With her work shift now completed for the day, she found her thoughts reverting back to Valentineâ€™s candy hearts and secret admirers. Sheâ€™d never had a secret admirer before, but there was indeed _someone_ on the ship that was smitten with her, but too shy to approach her about it. She couldnâ€™t help but wonder exactly what this person might have planned next.

Hoshi peered down the hallway and saw Tâ€™Pol several feet ahead, walking in the same direction as she was. She quickened her pace in an effort to catch up with the Vulcan.

â€œSubcommander,â€ the ensign whispered, as she drew a bit closer. Tâ€™Pol stopped in her tracks and turned around.

â€œEnsign, why are you whispering?â€

Hoshi shrugged her shoulders. That was a good question. Why _was_ she whispering?

â€œI donâ€™t knowâ€¦maybe itâ€™s all this talk ofâ€¦â€ she softened her voice again â€œâ€¦secret admirers.â€

Tâ€™Pol raised a brow. Hoshi really hoped that she hadnâ€™t annoyed the Vulcan.

Annoyed the Vulcan. That wasnâ€™t possibleâ€¦Tâ€™Pol couldnâ€™t get annoyed. Right?

â€œIs there something I can do for you, Ensign?â€

â€œWellâ€¦yes. I was wondering if you could keep your eyes open for me, you know?â€

Tâ€™Pol tipped her head quizzically. â€œKeep my eyes open? Wellâ€¦ I do intend to keep them open until I allow myself a period of rest later this evening.â€

Hoshi shook her head, unable to stifle an amused smile. â€œNo, thatâ€™s not what I meant.â€ She paused for a moment, attempting to think of a better way to explain it.

â€œWhat I meant was,â€ Hoshi began, â€œIf you happen to see someone planting candy hearts aroundâ€¦to take note of whoâ€™s doing itâ€¦and then tell me who it is.â€

â€œPlanting candy heartsâ€¦You mean such as that?â€

Hoshi looked down the hall. Right outside of her quarters, Lieutenant Malcolm Reed knelt down on the floor of the hallway. She watched as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of Valentineâ€™s candy hearts. He crawled about the floor placing the hearts in a neat little trail up to Hoshiâ€™s door.

Hoshiâ€™s eyes widened. â€œShhhâ€¦quick, Subcommanderâ€¦donâ€™t let him see us.â€ She reached over in â€¦what turned out to beâ€¦a vain attempt to grab the sleeve of Tâ€™Polâ€™s catsuit. The material was clung so tightly to the Vulcan that it was almost like a second skin.

â€œEnsignâ€¦exactly what _are_ you doing?â€

â€œIâ€™m sorryâ€¦but can we just go back to your quarters for a minute?â€

â€œOf course, Ensign.â€

Hoshi and Tâ€™Pol turned around and moved quickly back down the hall, still unseen by the would-be-Romeo who was apparently too preoccupied with his precise placement of the candy hearts to even notice the two.

The Starfleet officers reached the entrance to Tâ€™Polâ€™s quarters.

â€œPhew.â€ Hoshi breathed a sigh of relief after entering the room. â€œThat was close.â€ She stood for a moment, lost in thought. Slowly, a smile began to emerge on her face. The smile got bigger and brighter the more she contemplated what she had just discovered. â€œItâ€™s Malcolmâ€¦my secret admirer isâ€¦ Malcolm.â€

Tâ€™Pol gazed back at her, expressionless. â€œApparently.â€

Hoshi was beside herself. â€œOh wowâ€¦Malcolm Reed. Wellâ€¦I have to admitâ€¦he is rather distinguished andâ€¦handsome. And his English accent is very classy.â€

â€œSo you find the lieutenantâ€™s behavior agreeable?â€

â€œWell, I certainly donâ€™t find it disagreeable,â€ Hoshi answered with an anticipatory grin.

************************************************************************

 

_The buzzer chimed, startling Tâ€™Pol and interrupting her nightly meditation session. She rose up off the floor calmly, unaffected by the disturbance, and made her way over to the entrance. The door slid open, revealing Commander Charles Tucker IIIâ€¦orâ€¦at least thatâ€™s who she_ thought _it was._

_By all outward appearances, it was indeed the Commander. Same hair, same eyes, same smileâ€¦_

_His smile. Where was his smile?_

_â€œMay I enter?â€_

_Tâ€™Pol tipped her head slightly._ May he enter?? This is most unusual.

_â€œOf course, Commander. Please, come in.â€_

_â€œThank you, Subcommander.â€ Trip came through the doorway and stood before Tâ€™Pol, folding his arms behind his back._

_The Vulcan gazed at him thoughtfully. His clothing was peculiarly formalâ€¦not the typical casual shirt and pants she wouldâ€™ve expected him to be wearing at this late hour. And his postureâ€¦the way he held himselfâ€¦everything about him wasâ€¦wrong. Utterly and totally wrong._

_Off. Completely off._

_â€œIs there something I can do for you, Commander?â€_

_â€œYesâ€¦actually there is,â€ he stated flatly. â€œThe entertainment room is having an event this coming Friday night. I was wondering if you might possibly consider attending the presentation of the featured film as my guest.â€ He raised a brow at her, as if to pose the question._

_Tâ€™Pol couldnâ€™t stop herself from gulping. An unVulcan-like gesture most definitely, but one she could not repress at that given moment. Who was this man? And what had he done with the_ real _Trip? Had her eyes deceived her or had Trip Tucker just raised his brow at her? What in the name of Surak was going on here?_

_â€œCommanderâ€¦are you feeling well? Perhaps it would be best if you went to sickbay and had Dr. Phlox examine you. Clearly you are ill.â€_

_â€œTo the contrary, my friendâ€¦I feel quite healthy and well.â€ He gazed down at the floor. â€œMind if I join you, Subcommander?â€_

_Tâ€™Pol tipped her head again, becoming increasingly bewildered by his bizarre behavior. â€œYou wish to meditate with me? Whyâ€¦may I ask?â€_

_â€œPerhaps it would clear both our minds,â€ Trip answered matter-of-factly. He turned his head to revealâ€¦ a rather largeâ€¦ POINTEDâ€¦ear!_

_Tâ€™Polâ€™s eyes widened. Her respirations increased. Her heart began to pound. It was not possible. It couldnâ€™t be possible. Vulcan? Trip was_ Vulcan? __

_Tâ€™Pol heard herself gasp. Vulcans didnâ€™t gaspâ€¦but humans didnâ€™t turn very suddenly into Vulcans either. To hell with it. She did more than gasp. She_ screamed. _She screamed louder than a two year old human child could EVER scream. She screamed SO loud that all of the meditation candles in her quarters inexplicably went out. And it felt oddlyâ€¦and illogically satisfyingâ€¦_

Tâ€™Pol was awakened by the sound of paperâ€¦crinkly paper being slipped under her door. She opened her eyes and rolled over, peering at the white note on her floor. She must have needed a short period of rest because it was quite out of the ordinary for her to fall asleep so early in the evening.

_A most unusual andâ€¦rather disturbing dreamâ€¦and soâ€¦completely illogicalâ€¦Vulcans most certainly do NOT scream._

She found the thought of Trip as a Vulcan to be rather unsettling as well. He was unquestionably very human and, as a human, he possessed human traits. That was how it was intended to be. Trip could be rather emotional and often his feelings caused him to behave illogically, butâ€¦despite thisâ€¦ and despite their tendency to have occasional disagreements, Tâ€™Pol was fond of him nonetheless. Orâ€¦at leastâ€¦as fond as a Vulcan could be of a humanâ€¦And, she had to admit to herself, she did find the humanâ€™s ears to be ratherâ€¦ aesthetically pleasing.

Tâ€™Pol walked over to the entrance and picked up the small piece of paper from the floor. She turned and made her way back over to the bed, her eyes focusing completely on the note. It was handwritten and in verse. A poem.

I request that you accompany me;  
To a movie youâ€™ll surely want to see,  
For though we arenâ€™t the same species;  
You might find that you really like Reeseâ€™s,  
Chocolate tastes good when youâ€™re at a show;  
But if you stay in your quarters, youâ€™ll never know,  
How much fun a date with a human can be;  
I promise Tâ€™Pol, you wonâ€™t want to flee,  
Come and join me on Friday night;  
Itâ€™ll be a beautiful sight,  
You and I together just feels right,  
For Vulcans and humans really donâ€™t have to fight.

Tâ€™Pol stared down at the paper for some time. There was indeed something different about this particular humanâ€¦something that separated him from the others. She believed sheâ€™d heard humans refer to it as â€œcharmâ€. Commander Charles Tucker III had charm. Indeed.

Tâ€™Pol felt compelled to go back to the door. The Vulcan sensed that perhaps there would be something more waiting for her behind it. She lifted her hand up to the button and watched the entry slide open.

Trip stood in the hallway, holding a large, stuffed teddy bear. The commander was dressed in his familiar, informal attire and was grinning from ear to ear.

_Indeedâ€¦much more appropriate,_ Tâ€™Pol thought, as her mind drifted back to the disturbing image of the Trip from her dream.

â€œPlease, come in.â€

Tâ€™Pol gazed at him thoughtfully for a moment and then moved her eyes down to the bear. â€œAm I to presume that thisâ€¦ animalâ€¦ is for me, Commander?â€

Trip glanced down at the fluffy tan creature and extended his arms out, offering it to Tâ€™Pol.

â€œWell, of course itâ€™s for you, Subcommander.â€

Tâ€™Pol took the teddy bear in her arms. Its artificial fur felt unexpectedly soft against her Vulcan skin. She stood for a moment, not moving, with the stuffed animal pressed against her chest. It was allâ€¦so illogical. A â€œdateâ€, as the humans called itâ€¦a date with Trip Tuckerâ€¦

â€œDid ya get my poem, Tâ€™Pol?â€ Trip interrupted her reverie.

â€œYes, Commander, I did in fact receive it.â€

â€œWellâ€¦what did ya think?â€ He paused for a moment, as if trying to read her reaction, but she remained expressionless and silent. â€œMy offer still holds, Tâ€™Polâ€¦if I can convince ya to change your mind. I just thought it might be nice for us toâ€¦â€

â€œVery well, Commander.â€

Trip looked puzzled. â€œVery wellâ€¦what?â€

â€œI shall accompany you to movie night, as you wish.â€

â€œYou will?â€ Trip gazed back at her, as if amazed that sheâ€™d accepted his invitation without the need for any further persuasion.

â€œI will,â€ she replied reassuringly.

â€œOh, thatâ€™s great, Tâ€™Pol! Youâ€™ll seeâ€¦itâ€™ll beâ€¦â€

â€œDo you hear that?â€ she interrupted, cocking her head to the side and straining to listen to the unusual sound.

â€œHear what?â€

â€œThat dreadful noiseâ€¦I believe the sound is emanating from outside my quarters.â€ Tâ€™Pol exited her room, still holding the bear, with Trip trailing just behind her.

The Vulcan made her way down the corridor, much like a bloodhound following a scent. The pair rounded the corner and then stopped suddenly in their tracks.

Lieutenant Malcolm Reed had stationed himself outside of Ensign Satoâ€™s quarters. Hoshi was standing in her doorway, appearing rather uncomfortable, as Malcolm crooned loudly to her. He had a guitar and was singing awayâ€¦or at leastâ€¦he was trying to sing.

Tâ€™Pol was unable to prevent herself from flinching ever-so-slightlyâ€¦ in a highly dignified manner of courseâ€¦ from every strained, off-key note sung by the lieutenant. Someone would have to put a halt to this madness. The Vulcan gazed over at Trip, who appeared as if he just might vomit, and shot him the _look._ The engineer nodded his head in approval, obviously knowing exactly what to do.

Trip took a few steps closer and extended his arm toward the guitar. He pressed his fingers to the strings and glared at Malcolm.

â€œOh, come on nowâ€¦it wasnâ€™t _that_ bad, was it?â€ Malcolm asked pleadingly.

Tâ€™Pol watched as he moved his eyes from one crewmate to the next, with the same apparent and unfortunate result. She made it quite clearâ€¦even without an obvious, observable expressionâ€¦that even _she_ didnâ€™t like his singing. And â€¦ more curiouslyâ€¦ even the teddy bear she was holding seemed to be frowning at the lieutenant. Malcolm closed his eyes before her and reopened them again, as if something he saw was deceiving him.

The human stared at Tâ€™Pol, apparently shocked to see a Vulcan cuddling a big, fluffy stuffed animal. He looked from one person to the next and seemed to take note of the looks of relief on the faces of everyone still present now that heâ€™d stopped singing. Malcolm was by all outward appearancesâ€¦utterly dejected. He looked up at Hoshi and smiled weakly.

â€œSo I take it that Iâ€™ll be going stag to movie night?â€

Hoshi smiled back at him. â€œOf course not, Lieutenant,â€ she answered with an encouraging tone. â€œIâ€™d be more than happy to come along with you. It doesnâ€™t really matter what is playingâ€¦ it should be fun.â€

Malcolmâ€™s eyes widened as his gaze seemed to take in the soft features of her face. â€œVery well then,â€ he whispered. â€œItâ€™s a date.â€

â€œYes.â€ The ensign nodded her head in approval. â€œA date.â€ Hoshi turned around and went back inside her quarters, leaving the trio alone in the hallway.

â€œI believe it would be wise for me to return to quarters as well.â€

Trip turned to face Tâ€™Pol and smiled at her in reluctant agreement. â€œOkay, Subcommander. Guess Iâ€™ll see you tomorrow nightâ€¦if not before thenâ€¦ up on the bridge or in engineering.â€

She nodded her head in acknowledgement and walked back down the path toward her room.

 

***********************************************************************

Trip waited a momentâ€¦until Tâ€™Pol was a safe distance awayâ€¦and then turned to verbally pounce on Malcolm.

â€œWell, Lieutenant Reedâ€¦it looks as though _Iâ€™ll_ be picking out what we see for movie night tomorrow evening.â€

Trip circled around Malcolmâ€¦ with a bit of a swaggerâ€¦ feeling quite proud of himself.

â€œSubcommander Tâ€™Pol agreed to come with me before Ensign Sato agreed to go with you. So thereforeâ€¦ _I_ win the bet.â€

â€œOh, donâ€™t â€˜Lieutenant Reedâ€™ me, Tripâ€¦I canâ€™t believe that you actually expect me to sit throughâ€¦what is it again that weâ€™ll be watching?â€

â€œStar Wars.â€

â€œOh, come now, Tripâ€¦is that _really_ necessary? What makes you think that Tâ€™Pol will fancy your little space opera anyway? Iâ€™d be willing to bet that sheâ€™d much rather see something of a more complex natureâ€¦such as say perhaps...Mission Impossible.â€ 

â€œMission Impossible? As in â€˜impossible to understandâ€™?â€ Trip chuckled. â€œOh, hell, Malcolmâ€¦you just want to see the main character blow stuff up.â€

Malcolm folded his arms, appearing defensive. â€œAnd what exactly is the problem with that, Commander Tucker?â€

The engineer smiled back at him with amusement. â€œNone at allâ€¦but did ya ever consider that maybe Hoshi wouldnâ€™t mind a nice, simple storyâ€¦a nice little space opera? Who knows, Malcolm? Maybe â€˜Star Warsâ€™ is right up your linguist dateâ€™s alley. I meanâ€¦look on the bright side,â€ Trip added, with a cheerful smile. â€œAt least we both have dates for movie night.â€

â€œHmmâ€¦well you do have a point there, Commander. Dates _are a good thing.â€_

_â€œYep, Malcolm. Dates are _always_ a good thing.â€_

_â€œEspecially with attractive linguistsâ€¦â€_

_â€œOr Vulcans with nice bumsâ€¦â€_

_â€œIndeed.â€_

_They both smiled, lost in their own contemplativeâ€¦and hopeful thoughts._

_***********************************************************************_

_Trip snuck a quick glance over at Tâ€™Pol. She sat in her seat with her typically perfect erect posture and stared ahead at the movie screen. Her face bore its usual vacant expression. Maybe Malcolm was right. Maybe Star Wars wasnâ€™t her cup of tea. But it was a little hard to tell since she almost always looked exactly the same._

_The engineer gazed down at his bright purple Hawaiian shirt and silently wondered if the Subcommander found him attractive. Judging by the look on her face when he came to her quarters to escort her to the movie, it sure seemed likeâ€¦ Damn. He still wasnâ€™t sure. He thought that just maybe heâ€™d seen her eyes widen ever-so-slightly. But widen-good or widen-bad? He couldnâ€™t be certain._

_â€œAre you planning on watching any part of this movie, Commander?â€ Malcolm asked with an irritated tone. â€œBecause, it still may not be too late to change it to Mission: Impossible.â€_

_Trip moved his eyes back up to look at the screen. â€œIâ€™m watchinâ€™. Iâ€™m watchinâ€™, all right?â€_

_Dramatic orchestral music blended with battle sounds and explosions, filling the makeshift movie theatre that was the mess hall. Trip peeked over at Malcolm just in time to see him roll his eyes. â€œWell, that was rather weakâ€¦â€ the lieutenant mumbled under his breath._

_Trip turned his head and gazed at Tâ€™Polâ€™s hand. Her fingers curved gracefully over the top of the armrest. He felt a sudden urge to place his hand atop hers. Trip eyed the slender, artistic fingers for a long moment. A veryâ€¦longâ€¦ moment._

_He felt his respirations increase as he carefully lifted his arm off the chair. His heart began to pump harder and harder, a nervous lump forming in the back of his throat. He moved his hand slowlyâ€¦carefullyâ€¦One false move and he knew all might be lost. Slowlyâ€¦carefullyâ€¦_

_The engineerâ€™s hand hovered just above the Vulcanâ€™s and began its very cautious and deliberate descent. Lower and closerâ€¦lower and closerâ€¦_

_Trip felt his fingertips grazing the Vulcanâ€™s warm skinâ€¦_

_â€œTripâ€¦I AM your father!â€ Malcolm said in a deep voice, directly into the engineerâ€™s ear._

_Trip jumped, startled by Malcolmâ€™s words, and jerked his hand away. It flew backwardsâ€¦away from Tâ€™Polâ€™sâ€¦ and directly into his forehead with a hard smack. Tripâ€™s face grimaced in embarrassment._

_Tâ€™Pol turned and met his eyes. â€œIs everything all right, Commander?â€ she questioned evenly._

_Trip grasped his sore fingers and forced a smile. â€œFine, Tâ€™Pol. Just fine. Enjoyinâ€™ the movie?â€_

_â€œIâ€™m Vulcan, Trip. We donâ€™t _enjoy_ movies.â€_

_Trip nodded his head, still smiling. â€œRight.â€_

__Oh and isnâ€™t this just the date of a lifetimeâ€¦Wait â€˜til I get my hands on Malcolmâ€¦.â€_ _

_The lieutenant looked over, completely oblivious. â€œSomething wrong, Trip?â€ he asked innocently._

_â€œNope, Malcolm. Nothing at all. Everythinâ€™ is just fine.â€_

_â€œGood.â€ Malcolm smiled and turned to Hoshi. â€œWhat about you? Are you enjoying yourself, Ensign?â€_

_Trip watched as she smiled back at Malcolm. Her Colgate-white teeth were nearly blinding even in the darkened room. Hoshi settled herself down into the chair and took hold of Malcolmâ€™s hand. The lieutenant turned his head just enough to catch Tripâ€™s eye. There it was again. Malcolmâ€™s unsettling, sly lookâ€¦_

_The commander ran his tongue along his bottom lip, staring back at the lieutenant. Things seemed to be going just fine for Malcolm._

_Trip looked away and found his eyes once again fixed upon his Vulcan date. His heart fluttered momentarily. Tâ€™Pol really was beautiful. Not humanâ€¦but beautiful nonetheless. She was also challenging._

__This_ would be challenging._

_Trip smiled to himself, his eyes still admiring the Subcommanderâ€™s beauty. He always loved a good challengeâ€¦and he was quite certain that romancing Tâ€™Pol would be no exception.  
_


End file.
